Christopher Smith, better known for horror films such as Triangle and Severance than yuletide mush, does a fair job of adding some grit to the typical Christmas film. It helps that he has Jim Broadbent playing Santa Claus with such avuncular glee.

The conceit is that Santa's sleigh has crash-landed in London; with his reindeer lost, he needs to rely on hapless ex-con Steve (Rafe Spall) to help him save Christmas.

Steve, meanwhile, has to prove himself to his son. Some of the humour is pretty feeble but Smith throws in chases, prison breaks and just enough grotesquerie to keep the sentimentality from clogging up the film entirely.